Taximeter control.



J. D. SULSONA.

TAXIMETER CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED JANJO, 1910.

Patented Apr 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, WITNESSES:

ATTORNE Y8 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, 04 c4 J. D. SULSONA.

TAXIMETER CONTROL.

AYPLIOATIONTILED JAN. 10, 1910.

2 SKBETB-SKEET 2.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNE Y8 COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH cm. WASHINGTON. D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH D. SULSONA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 TAXIMETER CONTROL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TAXIMETER CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filed January 10, 1910. Serial No. 537,208.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr D. SULSONA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Taximeter Control, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for controlling the taximeter on a taxicab or other vehicle with the aid of an alarm, so that the taximeter cannot be comfortably maintained in its non-registering position when the vehicle is occupied by a passenger.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which will be simple in construct-ion, positive in its operation, and readily adjusted.

A further object of this invention is to provide an audible alarm for a vehicle, to designate when it is occupied, and the taximeter thereon in its non-registering position, which is operative only when the ve hicle is in motion.

These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of parts, will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view in elevation, partly in section to show the underlying structure; and showing the conducting wires in a diagrammatic manner; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary section of the cen trifugal control, with a diagrammatic illustration of its connection to the taximeter; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-% of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of the device, 1 indicates a passenger vehicle of any suitable character, such as a taxicab, which is provided with a taximeter 2 of any suitable form, the latter being connected up in any suitable manner to the wheels or other moving parts of the vehicle.

Connected to the vehicle 1 in any suitable manner, there is provided a shaft 4, which may be the power shaft or the axle for the wheels, or any other rotatable member, to which the control may be readily attached, so that it will become operative when the vehicle is in motion.

Located in any suitable out-of-the-way place on the vehicle, there is provided a suitable source of electrical current, such as a battery 5, which supplies the motive energy for a suitable alarm, such as a bell G. The bell 6 is preferably composed of two parts, one of which extends within the interior of the vehicle, and the other of which extends without the interior of the vehicle, so that the alarm will be heard by both the passengers and the chauffeur and any passers-by.

The taximeter 2 is connected to the bat-- tery 5 and the bell 6 in such a manner that when in its non-registering position, an electrical connection will be made there through, so that, other conditions being ful filled, there will be a sounding of the bell (5. One method of doing this is to connect a contact 7 on the starting lever of the taximeter, which is indicated at 8, to the battery 5 by means of any suitable conductor, such as a wire 9, and further, connect a plurality of contacts 10 and 11, aTanged in juxtaposition to the contact 7, to one terminal of the bell 6, by means of suitable conductors, such as wires 12 and 13. The contacts 7, 10 and 11 may be located in any suitable place within or without the taximeter, and are so arranged that the contact 7will always be in contact with one of the contacts 10 or 11 when the taximeter is in its nonregistering position. There is provided between the contacts 10 and 11 a space 14, filled by a suitable insulating material, which corresponds to the position of the starting lever 8 when the taximeter is registering, so that in this position there will be no electrical connection between the contact 7 and the cont-acts 10 and 11. The contacts 10 and 11 are also separated from each other by suitable insulating material at a point 15, which, however, is not of sutlicient magnitude to permit the positioning of the lever 8 at this point without the contact 7 being in engagement with either one of the contacts 10 or 11. In order that the break in the circuit may be partially completed by a passenger entering the vehicle, there is provided a pair of contacts 16 and 17, which are normally held out of engagement with each other by any suitable means, such as springs 18 engaging between relatively movable portions of the vehicle, 19 and 20, which support the contacts 16 and 17. These contacts 16 and 17 are adapted to be brought into engagement by the entrance of a. passenger in the vehicle, and may be located on the floor of the vehicle, as illustrated, or on the seat or any other convenient place where they will be operated by a passenger entering the vehicle. One of these contacts 16 is connected to the other terminal of the bell G by means of any suitable electrical conductor, such as a wire 21.

In order that the circuit may be completed when the vehicle is in motion and the taximeter in its non-registering position, with a passenger in the vehicle, there is provided on the shaft & a control, which completes the circuit when the shaft i is in motion. For this purpose, there is provided a brush 22, which is pivotally connected to the vehicle 1 in any suitable manner, and is electrically connected to the contact 17 by any suitable means, such as a wire 23, and is further adapted to engage a conducting rim 2% on an insulating collar 25, which is cured in any suitable manner to the shaft 4 and adapted to rotate therewith. The conducting rim Qt which is insulated from the shaft at, is provided with a conducting socket 26, in which is adapted to lit a conducting rod 27, secured to a conducting rim 28 on a collar 29 slidingly secured 011 the shaft 4 in such a manner that it will positively rotate with the shaft 4c. The socket 2G is provided with aspring 30, which prevents the jar of the conducting rod 27 in entering the socket 26, and makes the electrical engagement positive and close-fitting, so that there will be no arcing between the contacting points.

On the collar 25, there is provided a suitable guide 31 for affording the proper aline ment of the conducting rod 27 with the socket opening 26. For the purpose of slid.- ingly connecting the collar 29 to the shaft dso that it will rotate therewith, there is provided a key member 32, which is secured to the shaft 1- in any suitable manner and engages in slots or grooves 33 in the collar 29. The member 32 is provided with flanges 3%. which limit the inward movement of the collar 29 toward the collar 25. In order that the movement of the collar 29 may be prao tic. lly frictionless, it is provided with a circun'iferential groove 35, into which is adapted to drop a suitable lubricant from a supply pipe 36, the latter being conducted by means of passages 37 in the collar 29 to the surface of the shaft 4. The means for moving the collar 29 toward the collar 25 consists of a centrifugal control, which is made up of a plurality of weights 38 connected to the collars 25 and 29 in such a manner, as

by means of springs 39, that they will normally lie, when statimiary, in juxtaposition to the shaftet, and will fly out away from the shaft t when said shaft is rotated, there by causing a relative movement of the collars 29 and 25 toward each other.

Pivotally connected in any well known manner to the vehicle, there is provided a brush it), which is hung in such a manner that it will engage the conducting rim 23 on the collar 29. This brush 40 is connected by any suitable conductor, such as a wire il, to one terminal of the battery 5. There is thus obtained a complete circuit with several breaks therein, which are closed by the completion of various conditions, as has been explained.

In order to keep the working parts of the centrifugal control free from dust and from being tampered with, they are inclosed in a suitable casing 42. This casing is provided with brackets 43 and 44:, which have grooves therein, so that they may readily hold the brushes 22 and 40 in yielding contact with the conducting rims 24. and 28.

The operation of the device will be readily understood when taken in connection with the above description. hen the vehicle is unoccupied and the taximeter in its non-registering position, the flag will be in the full-line position indicated in Fig. 2. \Vhen a passenger enters the vehicle he will force the contacts 16 and 17 into engagement with each other, so that as soon as the vehicle starts up, the circuit through the bell 6 will be completed by the centrifugal control drawing the rod 27 into the socket 26. The bell (S will then start to ring, annoying the passenger, and at the same time warning the chauffeur and passers-by that the taximeter is not registering. It will therefore be necessary, in order to comfortably continue, to force the lever 8 down from its full-line position to the dotted-line position extending at rightangles thereto, in which the contact 7 comes opposite the insulation 1 1, and in which the taximeter is in its registering position. If, for any reason, the machine should bre: k down and a passenger still occupies the vehicle, it may be desirable, while the vehicle is standing and the motor not running, to throw the taximeter out of its registering condition and yet not throw it back to the original non-occupied position. with the flag erect. In such a case, the lever is thrown down into the dotted-line position indicated in Fig, 2, where it extends di-.

rectly opposite to the full-line position. When in this position, the bell will only ring when the machine is in operation. \Vhen the passenger has left the vehicle, the taxiineter can be thrown into its non-registering position by rotating the lever 8 to its vertical position, either forward or backward, according to the type of taximeter, there being provided no intermediate position in which the lever can rest without having the contact 7 engaging either one of the contacts 10 or 11, except when the taximeter is in its registering position.

While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details disclosed therein, but desire to be protected in various changes, modifications and alterations which I may make within the scope of the appended claims. For example, I may interchange the relative positions of the various breaks and elements in the circuit. Further, the centrifugal control can be placed on any rotating part of the vehicle without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, and means brought in play by the movement of said vehicle for sounding said alarm, said means being controlled by said registering device.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, a power shaft for driving said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, and means brought in play by the rotation of said shaft, for actuating said alarm, said means being controlled by said registering device.

3. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, a driving member for driving said vehicle, means brought in play by the active movement of said member, for actuating said alarm, said means being controlled by the entrance of a passenger in said vehicle and by said registering device.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, a rotatable member on said vehicle, and a centrifugal governor for bringing said alarm in play, connected to said rotatable member, said alarm being further controlled by said registering de vice.

5. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, an electrical circuit connected to said alarm and having a plurality of breaks therein, said registering device being adapted to control one of said breaks, another of said breaks being controlled by the entrance of a passanger in said vehicle, a rotatable member on said vehicle, and means on said rotatable member for controlling another of said breaks, brought in play by the rotation of said member.

6. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, an electrical circuit connected to said alarm, said electrical circuit having a plurality of breaks therein, said registering device being adapted to control one of said breaks, a centrifugally operated member for controlling another of said breaks, and means for supplying an electrical current to said circuit.

7. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, an electrical circuit connected to said alarm, said electrical circuit having a plurality of breaks therein, said registering device being adapted to control one of said breaks, a rotatable member on said vehicle, a centrifugal device connected to said rotatable member and adapted to be operated thereby, for controlling another of said breaks, and means for supplying an electrical current to said circuit.

8. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, a rotatable member on said vehicle, collars on said rotatable member, means for causing a relative movement of said collars during the rotation of said member, contact members on said collars, adapted to be brought in connection by the relative movement of said collars, electrical connections to said alarm and said registering device connected to said collars, and means for supplying an electrical current to said electrical connections.

9. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, a rotary member on said vehicle, collars on said rotary member, electrical connections between one of said collars and said alarm, electrical connections between another of said collars and said registering device, electrical connection between said registering device and said alarm, means for electrically connecting said 001- lars, and means connected to said collars, operated by the rotation of said member, for actuating said last-mentioned means.

10. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, a rotary member on said vehicle, a plurality of contacts on said vehicle, adapted to be brought into engagement by the entrance of a passenger into said vehicle, a collar on said rotary member, electrical connections between one of said contacts and said collar, electrical connections between the other of said contacts and said alarm, electrical connections between said alarm and said registering device, electrical connections between said registering device and another of said collars, means for connecting said collars electrically, and a centrifugal control operated by the rotation of said member for actuating said last-mentioned means.

11. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, a member adapted to start said registering device, contact on said member, and a plurality of contacts connected to said registering (lYlCG and juxtaposed to said contact on said member, said last-mentioned contacts being spaced apart at a point corresponding to the registering position of said member.

12. The combination with a vehicle, of a registering device on said Vehicle, an alarm on said vehicle, electrical connections between said alarm and said registering de vice, a plurality of contacts connected to l l i l l l l said registering device, a contact, adapted to cooperate with said first-mentioned contact, 1

a controlling lever for said registering device, connected to said sec0nd-1ne11tioned contact, and a centrifugal control connected to said alarm and said registering device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH D. SULSONA. lVitnesses Hona'rro VI-UTING, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

